Air washing apparatus



July 11, 1944. D L N 2,353,548

AIR WASHING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 29, 1941 s sheets-sheet 1 63 I 'INVENTOR. [)2 red JDc/Zzon 7 BY HIZi After/1e 5 I July 11, 1944. A. J. DALTON 7 AIR WASHING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 29, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Aqred JJDaHon QM WW Attorneys July 11, 1944.

A. J. DALTON AIR WASHING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 29, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Alfred JJDalfon Fig.5.

Qt torrlegs Patented July 11, 1944 Alfred J. Dalton, Detroit, Micla, asaignor to Industrial Sheet Metal Works, Inc., Detroit,

Miola, a corporation of Michigan Application MM 2, 1,41, Serial No. 408,728

(CI. Isa-2o) This invention relates to improved apparatus for removing foreign material such as paint. enamel, lacquer, dust, grindings, polishing and burnishing refuse from air within which it is suspended. More particularly, this invention relates to improvements in the type of apparatus described and claimed in my application for patent, Serial No. 336,697. filed May 23, 1940, now

Patent No. 2,243,839.

-An important object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for bringing air laden with foreign material into intimate contact with a liquid such as water and causing the liquid to wash the air of such foreign particles in an economical and expeditious manner. Another important obiect of this invention is to provide improved means for introducing the water into the air stream which is to be cleaned while passing through the apparatus. Another object is to provide novel means for introducing a large thick sheet of water into the air stream passing through the apparatus at a critical point where the air stream is capable of picking up the water and violently swirling it about in a confined space.

More particularly, the present invention relates to the type of apparatus illustrated in my aforesaid patent where an upright casing surmounts a water carrying reservoir and contains a plurality of water eliminating baflles arranged in vertical spaced alternately staggered relation and wherein the air passageway is so constricted between a pair of bailles adjacent to the entrance "to the passageway that aswirling concentration passageway at the entrance to the space between said pair of bafiies. Preferably the bailie over which the liquid flows is downwardly inclined,

and gravity attraction alone governs the speed,

of the liquid flow. Thus the water spills from the edge of the bathe in a slow moving stream. No expensive devices are necessary to throw the water under relatively high speed into the air swirling dense spray in the relatively confined space between the bailie and the next superimposed baiile. The result is that a cleaning liquid such as water is introduced into the air stream in an inexpensive and highly efllcient way, and the air to be cleaned functions as part of the apparatus as it is cleaned. To accomplish all this without interfering with the passage ofthe air stream or the swirling action of air and water,

a novel water supply means is provided.

The air cleaning chamber preferably surmounts a water carrying reservoir. Water from the reservoir is introduced into the air stream at the edge of one of the lowermost baflles, preferably the lowermost baille. A water sheet of a constant thickness is flowed over the baiiles. In

one form of the invention the constant thickness of the water sheet is maintained by a constant volume delivery pump feeding water to flow through an outlet opening upon the upper face of the bane. In this form of the invention, the outlet is a relatively wide slot and the thickness of the water sheet flowing therethrough governed by the rate of delivery of the pump rather than the width of the slot. Preferably a water trough is provided into which the pump feeds. The slot opens into communication with the upper levels of the trough and the amount of liquid flowing therethrough from the trough is governed by the volume delivery of the pump.

In another form of the invention, a head of water maintains a sheet of constant thickness flowing over the baffle. Preferably this head of water is maintatined on one of the walls of the casing, such as the rear wall, and is arranged to overflow its contents through a relatively wide slot upon the baiile which slot measures the thickness of the sheet and maintains it at a constant thickness. The water supply means shown is in the form of a trough continuously fed with water from the reservoir by a pump which operates at such a rate of speed that a large sheet of water equal in thickness to the slot is caused to flow down the baffle and spill from the edge thereof into the air stream.

In both forms the water troughs function to provide a reservoir of cleaning liquid spaced above the reservoir upon which the air cleaning chamber is mounted. The pump means provides a novel circulation of water from the bottom reservoir-to the trough, from whence the water flows back to the reservoir. The trough functions to quiet the water before it flows upon the baille. Becauseof its depth, the trough also acts to settle out foreign particles from previous washings before the water flows upon the baiiie. Moreover, the discharge slot being wide and extending the length of the machine, there is no danger of the foreign material clogging the slot and interfering with the type of water flow desired. To assist in removing foreign matter from the Weber hefore it flows noon the hefiies, novel means is provided ln the trough to old in eet= tiling out the onowired lorelgzn'motter.

The opperotue of the prerent invention in cludes a. second novel water supply meens pro video on the outeiole of the front wall of casing for the purpose oi flooding the outside surface of this well with e. flood rho-er. of This water supply means is preferably e. trough which overflows its eontente upon the front well.

This trough-is amounted high on the front, well considerably above the trough which euppllee the thick sheet of Water to the home. The resulting flood sheet spills from the bottom edge into the reservoir. An important feature of the lnven-= tion is the provision of a. single pump for filling the high enol 10w troughs with water telren from the reservoir and the control for regulnting the quantity of liquid delivered? to the two troughs. V 7

Various other objects, eelvontngee, nnel merltoriouc ieetur% wlll become more fully onperent from the following sneclficetion, enpenoeel clelm noel accompanying elrowinge, Whereln:

Figure l is e. sine elevation of on anglers-m n constructed in oocorclonce wltli thn invention Fin. 2 is a front elevation of the opperotuo in Fig. 1,

Flag. 3 is o. view oi o port of the front or opperntuo broken away to illustrate the lnter'lor construction.

Fig. o in e. arm-sectional vlew or the oopom tns along line t-e or Fig. l,

Fig. 5 is to vertical eectlonel view through the enneretus illustrating the action oi the enter end air when the letter is drown ropio ly no werdly through the opporntue,

Flo. 6 is o vertical sectional view of e. nert ol.

the enperetue illustrating the notion oi we. tor when no nir is moving in the epnerotus,

Fla. 7 lo :3 detail oectlonnl the trough on the upper front well oi the rotus.

E'he epperotue lllustrntecl herein in intended primarily for th removel or point particles: and similar foreign meteriol from the eir. Toe on noretus, however, coulol he ueeal for the purpose of removing other kindle of foreign material and it is understood that the invention. enplieo to such wees. The apparatus is usually oreooloterl with e. chamber or hoth where ertlelee ere onreyelil with point. The enoeretuo, however, naught he used lor removing particles such no result lrom grinding, polishing one hurniehing-g operations end it is understood theta the eonerotuo my he ueeol for such purposes. Various roooirlcetlono may be made in the lllustroteo embodiment or the invention and it in unelerotooel snot such morllficetlone fell within the scope or the inv lion.

Referring perticuirrly to the rlrozvinge, as one ing indicated at 58 ourmounto' reservoir ill. 'lhe letter ls eoentecl to conteln o liquid o level none the top of the rwervolr es inolceren. The liquid mey be center, though not necessarily end it is unclereteorl thee when the term ls lineal herein it lo intone-lee to cover eultohle cleening llqulcl.

In the present eanlcoelinront 0f the lneentlon the easing lo gmermly in e, and oomprlow o iront M, o or beer 5G onol ewe walls se m connotation the l'ront and heel: Wells. The front well corner lnwmrlly elong in hottom edoe shown one more noonoee the level or the enter in the reeervolr to form an air inlet opening into the lower end of the calne. A cllecheree conduit 29 is attached to the top of the coring. In it is e fan 22 which in operotlon pulls ole into the air inlet opening and upwardly through the (seeing.

The cosine forms pert of e. room or booth ln which the point spraying operations are percosine, the air in front of the owing is drawn ill -' through outlet wolnst the flood sheet and down to the air int the dotted arrows lnolieote in Fla. 5. none the analog, meene is employed to give the air stream 2. thorough wmhing with water end to remove the weter before the air discharge;

In the opporetus 111mtre'teo in any eforeenld enoilcotion and the emloorhment ol the lnvention llluntroted herein, this lo eccompllshed by the provision of o novel series of home members extending downwardly close the eir inlet opening and the provision of water not"; rneone which causes the water and the omen unoeroly through the ceasing to be u rleol vlolently around in e restricted space hetneen o non or the lower heme members. The lrnportont leoture of the present invention is the novel menner of delivering o large supply of water to e point adjacent the restricted space and so fllllliehlllg this weter that a continuum thich sheet or were? ls discharged into the air stream just es the letter enters the splice between two oi the bellies.

The hofile members are preferehly W as shown ln more. 5 one o in alternately staggered W l lly opocezl onert relationship and inclining rally from the rront Emil reel walls. The inner edges of the lnficn preferably overlap upon one mother as shown and extend far enough ecroeo the cosine at such on lnclinetlon that the on streero zooming unoerdly throngh the casing to caused to m successively expended and conetriclezl and reversed noon iteeh before it reaches oliecherge outlet Elli. he, shown, the spaces hetown the ioefieo ore oenregotm from one another by reetrlcteo entroncee end exists. The

entero eech through o restricted entronco and passes lhto e relatively wide space which gradually converges to the ratflcted exit. The result to on oir otrem vvlnch is epeeded up no it through the motrlcteai entrances and exits one" in relatively slowed clown 1n the ogoece heteeen these restricted mention,- the oowno'erd inclination ofthe coo-net at leeot o nort of the elr stream to he oeliecteol downwardly toward the top ride or lower of each pelr before it-tum: to lenve the snare for the next on e -1i space.

Four "n-olllee are shown in the illustrated apps.-

fiolnmenelng Krona the bottom, these are ntnnherezl 520., 255, onol 93%. These are to elther the front or back wall and eownworoln from this attachment. ,I'ho lorworel or inner edges ore nreierohly tumod elown on shown to Kern. olemnolng line 82 running 'llis preferredtoany the length of the bailes. The bailies extend as shown in Fig. 4 the length of the casing from side wall to side wall and are supported on narrow brackets 34 fixed to the side walls. An important novel feature in the provision for adlusting the degree to which the baiiies extend across the casing. Blight adjustments of this character have an important bearing upon the operation of the air and water, and this is particularly true of the baille regulating the restricted opening across which the primary washing water is discharged into the air stream. In the particular this is the lowermost bailie 2|. As shown in Fig. 4 this is accomplished by the provision of narrow slots 3i above each bracket 34 upon which it is supported. Through these slots extend bolts which hold the baffle plate down on the brackets. It is obvious from the type of this connection that the baiile It is adjustable in its plane to vary the restricted opening between its inner free edge and the front wall It.

Mounted on the back wall of the casing is a container or trough 40 extending the length of the casing on a level approximately that of the lowermost baflie 24. As shown in Fig. the bottom of the trough ll is spaced below the line of attachment of the hello :4 to the rear wall and the top of the trough is above this line of attachment. The trough is filled from the bottom with wateror other liquid by one or more pipes 42 having communication with the outlet of a pump 04. The latter has its inlet pipe 48 in communication with the liquid content of the reservoir to draw water therefrom.

The rear wall is provided with a long horizontal relatively wide slot 48 opening on the one hand into the interior of the casing preferably immediately above-the attachment of bailie u to the rear wall and opening on the other hand into the top section of the trough I. As a result of this construction water filling the trough is caused to flow therefrom through the slot and down the topside of the home 24. The pump 44 is operated at such rate of speed that the volume of water entering the trough is suillcient to cause a relatively thick she etof water to flow from the trough down the top side of baiile 24. From the lower edge of this bailie the water flows generally across the casing in a thick stream toward and against the inner surface of the front wall. This is true when no air is moving in the easing and this condition is represented in Fig. 6.

4 Preferably the slot ll is at least 59 inch wide.

It may be as wide as 1% inchesg The thickness of the sheet of water flowing through the slot may be governed by the slot. However, in the case of a wide slot, such as 1% inches wide, the thickness of the sheet may be controlled by the rate at which the pump is operated. In either case the sheet of water delivered through the slot is of relatively thick character exceeding 95 inch in thickness; This thick stream of water flows smoothly down the top side of the baffle and discharges from the lower generally across the air passage and against the front wall of the casing.

Proiecting inwardly from the slot 48 and in spaced parallel relation to the bane II is a flange II which protects the water sheet as it emerges from the slot from the air currents and falling water drops.

The combination of the trough ll and the slot other form of mechanism for discharging water. In the first place an even flow of water is assured down the top side of the belie and throughout its length. Secondly, the 7s the pump into the bottom of the trough as shown. the water passing through the slot 48 is relatively quiescent and, in addition, imposes an even head on the pump.

Although the trough aids in shutting out foreign material from the water before the latter flows into the casing through the slot. it is desirable to provide means which would prevent refuse from rising in'the trough and flowing through the slot. Accordingly, there is provided in the trough an inverted channel member ll supported in anv desirable manner which helps in holding down any foreign material which might flow with the water through the slot. channel member also has the effect of quieting the surfaceof the water in the trough so that it flows evenly through the slot throughout the length thereof. 1

As previously described, the outside surface of the front wall it is flooded with a sheet of water. This-flood sheet is comparatively thin,

being only sufficient to maintain the front walltrough 52 lies flat against the front wall; the

other side by virtue of its construction inclines downwardly and backwardly until it joins the other side of the trough on an apex substantially flush with the front wall. The trough is filled with water from a horizontal pipe 54 immediately thereabove. Preferably short vertical tubes I. deliver water from the pipe into the interior of the trough. When the trough is filled as shown in Fig. 7, this carries the lower end of the tubes below the level of the water and reduces turbulence. The front inclined wall of the trough I2 is rolled ,inwardly as shown'at 58. when the trough is filled and additional water is added by the tubes 54 the water spills over the rolled edge and down the outside inclined .wall of the trough and thence down the front wall in the form of a flood sheet.

Water is supplied to pipe it from the same pump which delivers water to the trough 4. on the back wall. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the opposite ends of pipe 54 are connected to horizontal rearwardly extending pipes "-08 on opposite sides of the casing. Vertical pipes are supplied with liquid from a single source of supply. The amount of liquid delivered to each trough may be regulated by valves; valve II in I line 42 to the trough ll and in the separate lines 2-H by valve 1!.

The rear wall ii of the casing has a section 12 adjacent the bottom which is inclined forwardly and projects downwardly below the level of the water in the reservoir. The inclined wall section 12 extends below the level of the water in the reservoir but terminates above the floor path before it leaves the reservoir. As previously mentioned. Fig. 6 illustrates the thereof. The function of this section is to drain water and washed out particles down into the reservoir as Fig. 5 illustrates. The water flowing down the inclined wall section serves as a secondary flood sheet to the air entering the inlet to the casing. By projecting the inclined wall 12 below the surface of the liquid in the reservoir it also acts as a baflling plate dividing the reservoir into front and rear sections. Since the water fromthe washing operation'drains into the front section of the reservoir the rear section will be comparatively quiet. allowing the heavie material to settleto the bottom.

In the reservoir i2 between the back wall thereof and the inclined wall I2 is a vertical baiile plate 1. which rises from the floor of the reservoir but terminates short of the surface of the liquid. This plate cooperates with the inclined wall to reduce turbulency in the water and settle out material washed out either air.

As shown in Fig. 5, theinlet to the pump opens through the back wall of the reservoir, preferably intermediate the height of water, and water withdrawn thereby is caused to travel a tortuous condition of the apparatus when the water alone is flowing. The thin flood sheet flows down the outside of the front wall It and drips from the intumed edge'of the wall into the reservoir. A relatively thick sheet of water flows through the slot and down the top side of baifle I4. It has such a momentum that when it leaves the lower free edge of .the baille it travels generally horizontally across the air passage and strikes the rear side of the front wall. With no air flowing in the casing. this water falls down the inside of the front wall and upon inclined wall section II.

When air is caused to flow upwardly through the casing at a high velocity it picks up the water streams and violently swirls them around in the confined spaces. First, as the air stream,

' which is indicated by the dotted arrows, is drawn toward the front wall and downwardly into the air inlet it deposits some of its particles of suspended matter on the flood sheet. It then enters the air inlet and encounters the flood sheet water dripping from the front wall. This is picked up by the air and caused to be swirled about as shown in Fig. 5 by the full line arrows in the space between the baffling board 14 and the front wall. The swirling agitated mass of water is relatively mild compared to the next described operation but it does serve as a preliminary washing operation.

As the air stream passes around the edge 01 the lowest belle it is constricted because of the narrowing of the passage and thereby speedod" up. At this point it encounters the thick sheet of water flowing from the edge of the baffle. This thick sheetis caught vup by the fast moving air stream and caused to be rapidly and violently swirled and dashed about in the space between the two lowest baffles. The full and dotted arrows in Fig. 5 represent this action. The second bailic 28 serves to deflect both the water and air downwardly toward the top side of the bafiie 24, which, as previously described, is covered with a thick sheet of moving water. The water in the confined space is dashed about in coarse dense streams of water which efl'ectively knock the susaasasea pended matter out of the air. The downward inclination of the baiile II and the provision of lip 82 thereon narrows the space between the two bai'lles. These elements function to deflect the water downwardly as the air passes from beneath the baille it and turns to rise thereabove. The air is thoroughly cleaned of suspended foreign material by this means.

As previously mentioned, the thickness of the water sheet on the battle may be determined in two different ways. governed by the rate of delivery of water from the pump. The slot ll is wider than the'deslred thickness of the water sheet on baffle 24. The pump is operated at such a rate that the water flows from the slot at a constant rate and thickness, which thickness for the purpose of this apparatusis preferably at least one-half inch.

In the other form of the invention, th slot is no wider than the desired thickness of the water sheet and governs the thickness thereof. The pump is operated to maintain level of liquid in the trough 40 above the upper edge of the slot opening ll. A head of water thus serves to supply the water for the bailie.

In either form of invention, a cover ll isprovide on the trough 4.. It is preferably hinged so that it may be opened to gain access to the interior of the trough. In the second form of the invention the cover ll may have a water tight fit with the wall of the trough to prevent leakage of water therefrom if the pump should completely fill the trough with water.

What I claim:

Apparatus for removing from an air stream suspended foreign material comprising, in combination, a water carrying reservoir, an upright casing formed of front, back and end walls superimposing said reservoir, the front wall of said casing curving inwardly and terminating above the level of the water in the reservoir to form an air inletinto the casing, a baille member attached to the back wall above the inlet opening and extending partially across the casing toward the inwardly curved position of the front wall at a downward inclination, the back wall immediately above the attachment of the heme member thereto provided with a relatively wide slot extending horizontally substantially the length of the baflle, a trough on the front wall adapted to discharge on to the outer surface of said wall, a trough disposed on the outside of the back wall with the upper portion extending at least to the level of the slot, pump means having an intake communicating with the reservoir and a branched outlet discharging into the two troughs, said pump means adapted in operation to continuously deliver water from the reservoir to the two troughs and cause the water in the trough on the back wall to overflow through said slot down the top side of the baffle member in a relatively thick sheet of water and spill therefrom on the front wall and back to the reservoir in a relatively thick In one way, it may be 

